Giardiasis infection prevalence and related risk factors in Children of Babil: An epidemiological investigation

The study was conducted during the period from the beginning of October 2024 to March 2025. Patient samples were collected from children aged 1–12 years from the Educational Children’s and Maternity Hospital, Al-Noor Children’s Hospital in the governorate center, and some private laboratories in Babil Governorate. Stool samples were examined using several methods, including direct wet swab, sedimentation methods, and flotation methods staining and to detect the trophozoites, cyst and Oocyst phases of these parasites to evaluate the relationship of some factors (gender, age ,educational and area ) to the 145 samples examined, 88(25.5%) were surprisingly positive for Giardia lamblia. The prevalence rate among males 56 (63.6% ) (%) was higher than females32 (36.3%). Based on the results of this study, it is concluded that the prevalence of G. lamblia in Babil Governorate remains high, and effective technologies and plans are required to prevent the spread of these parasites. Distribution by residential area shows that children living in rural areas have a slightly higher infection rate children living in urban areas had higher infection rate 21 (23.8%) compared to those in rural areas 67 (76.1 %). Urban overcrowding and limited access to clean water in some neighborhoods may contribute to this trend. Distribution of infected cases by age group within each gender. The highest infection rate was found in the 11-12 age group, reaching 36 (40.9%) while the lowest infection rate was found in < 2 years age group, reaching 3 (3.4% ) where of infected cases by age group within each gender highest . The results indicated that the highest prevalence among males was observed in the 8-10 year age group, at 50%, while the lowest prevalence was recorded among children aged 2-4 years, with only two cases (3.5%). The highest incidence among females was recorded in the 5-7 year age group, with 17 cases (30.3%), while no cases were recorded among children under 2 years of age (0.0%). The study also showed that children whose fathers were uneducated were more likely to contract giardiasis than those whose fathers were educated, at 58.3% and 41.7%, respectively. A similar trend was observed with regard to the mothers' education level, with the prevalence of infection being higher among children of uneducated mothers compared to children of educated mothers, at 20.4% and 79.5%, respectively.